Day By Day: A Very Brady Episode
Day By Day was a short-lived late-1980s American sitcom, airing between February 29, 1988 to June 25, 1989. On February 11, 1989, six Brady Bunch cast members - all of the former adult main cast members (Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, Ann B. Davis) plus three former child stars - Maureen McCormick (pregnant at the time), Christopher Knight and Mike Lookinland (Marcia, Peter and Bobby, respectively) - reunited in the sitcom's best-known episode - "A Very Brady Episode". Later, the show's main cast member, Christopher Daniel Barnes, would go on to play Greg Brady in The Brady Bunch Movie released in 1995 and A Very Brady Sequel released in 1996. Storyline The episode opens with main character Ross Harper (Christopher Daniel Barnes) watching The Brady Bunch on his mini TV set, singing along to the theme song. Soon, his neighbor Eileen (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Kristin (Courtney Thorne-Smith), the nanny of his baby sister Emily, also join in. Eileen and Kristin then both admit that they have a crush on Greg. Eileen mentions that the Brady Bunch was her favorite show while growing up, to which Ross says that Brady Bunch is more than a show - a way of life, and that he often turns to Brady Bunch for guidance, but even the Brady Bunch couldn't help with his current predicament - getting an F on a history paper. Just then, Ross' parents, Brian (Douglas Sheehan) and Kate (Linda Kelsey) enter. Ross asks them to sign the paper - the teacher, Mr. Crutchfield, who had taught Brian before, would easily give A's and always wrote nice comments on the graded papers. However, this time, the teacher had experienced nausea after reading Ross' paper, for the first time in his 52-year teaching career. The teacher didn't approve of Ross' liberal quotings of the lyrics from several Jon Bon Jovi songs, and "Benedict Arnold certainly was not, as you assert, the pig on "Green Acres" (a 1965-1971 sitcom about rural life, where one of the main characters was a pig named Arnold Ziffel). Ross explains that he got the bad grade because he was too busy watching the Brady Bunch marathon. Brian and Kate, disappointed, revoke his TV rights until he brings up his history grade. Ross, fed up with it, compares his parents to Mike and Carol Brady, who wouldn't scold their children if they got an F, to which Kate comments that they've had enough of The Brady Bunch. However, as Ross starts watching the Brady Bunch again, he suddenly falls asleep and has a dream of being in a Brady Bunch episode (the opening grid (from Season 5) now featuring a fake Cindy in Susan Olsen's place), and him appearing in the middle square before Alice appears). Next, Ross is seen in the Brady Bunch house in a blue robe, before being greeted by Carol, who then refers him as Chuck Brady. Though Ross tries to explain that he is Ross Harper, not Chuck Brady, Carol brushes him off, suggesting that playing all the rock & roll music have made him go crazy. When Chuck suggests that he'd get some rest, Carol instead suggests him to take off the robe and start the day. Chuck agrees, then gasps in horror at the 70's clothes he's wearing. Then Mike Brady appears, and tells Chuck to perm his hair, since all Brady men have their hair permed as that way their hair won't get in their eyes while fixing the bikes. Next, Alice enters with boxing gloves on her hands (a birthday present from Sam Franklin). Alice then goads Chuck to continue their fighting training so that Chuck can fight Buddy Hinton who has been beating him up at school, before accidentally punching Mike into the stomach (a nod to season 2, episode 8 "A Fistful of Reasons".) In the next scene, Chuck has gotten his hair permed, which Mike approves. Just then, adult Peter and Bobby enter the house (with them also having permed hairs), having just been working on their science project. Then they remind Chuck that they have to work on his Student Council President campaign posters (a nod to season 1, episode 11 "Vote for Brady"). Ross/Chuck tries to explain that he doesn't engage in extracurricular activities, before Mike gives him a small talk: "I know that sometimes we're afraid of new challenges, but that's what growing up is all about." The next scene has Chuck looking at himself in the mirror, when Peter and Bobby rush down the stairs and tease him for "warming up to enter an ugly contest", to which Chuck answers "None of your beeswax!", before they leave to work on the posters. Just then, a pregnant Marcia enters the house, announcing that she has wonderful news - she is also running for the Student Council President (another nod to "Vote for Brady") and asks him to be her campaign manager, and misinterprets that Chuck is very willing to do that. In next scene, Carol comments "There's nothing like 27th cup of coffee in the morning", before leaving with Mike for the den to continue designing a bank building. Just then, Peter and Bobby present Chuck their posters "Chuck Brady for President". Chuck then suggests going to a mall, but the concept is unknown to Peter and Bobby. When Chuck suggests that they go check out girls, Bobby comments "I'd rather kiss a basketball or a catcher's mitt than any dumb 'ol girl" (a nod to season 5, episode 4 "Never Too Young"). Chuck then suggests going for a bike ride, but Peter and Bobby remind him that the Bradys don't ride their bikes - they only fix them. (a nod to season 4, episode 19, "How to Succeed in Business?" Marcia returns from cheerleader practice with friends Judy and Sally, whom Ross/Chuck mistakes for Eileen and Kristin. Chuck tries to explain them his predicament - "being trapped in the Brady dimension". However, they don't listen to him and leave. Just then, Marcia notices Peter and Bobby making the posters and confronts Chuck about it, before stating "Chuck Brady, this means war!" and storming upstairs. (another nod to "Vote for Brady") The next scene features Chuck, Peter and Bobby promoting Chuck for the student council president (Chuck still being uninterested), while Marcia, Judy and Sally promote Marcia, by having a protest march around the Bradys' living room. Mike and Carol interrupt, and then Marcia, fed up with her brothers, announces that she wants to be in the Partridge family now. Carol reminds her that in another small talk "When you live in a family, you have to learn to get along with others." Marcia then drops out of the race for president and concedes to Chuck (yet another nod to "Vote for Brady"). However, Chuck does not want to be president - he just wants to go to the mall. Thinking that it would help him get out of the "Brady dimension", Chuck shows Mike his failed history paper, and though Mike sounds disappointed that Chuck got an F, he actually isn't. Marcia reminds Chuck that they've all got bad grades before, and Bobby adds that this is why they are still living at home. Mike and Carol start singing "I Wanna Be Loved By You" (another nod to "Never Too Young") while pretending to play the ukulele, and the Bradys start repeating their previous lines after Mike reveals Chuck that a it's all a rerun. Ross then wakes up, and then realizes that it was all a dream, until Brian and Kate enter, with Mike's and Carol's mannerisms from his dream. Then it's reveal that it was yet another dream, as Brian shakes Ross, who had fallen asleep on the chair. Ross then decides to give up Brady Bunch, and goes up to sleep. Just then, Brian and Kate turn on the TV and watch The Brady Bunch themselves. DayByDay2.jpg|"Hi Mom! Hi Dad! Hi Chuck!" Bobby and Peter arrive home in "Day by Day: A Very Brady Episode". DayByDay4.jpg|"Chuck Brady" (Christopher Daniel Barnes) meets Peter and Bobby. DayByDay5.jpg|Chuck Brady tries to explain to Peter and Bobby that he doesn't engage in extracurricular activities. DayByDay3.jpg|Mike and Carol in "Day By Day" DayByDay6.jpg|Chuck Brady meets Marcia. DayByDay7.jpg|"Chuck Brady, this means war!" DayByDay8.jpg|"Chuck Brady!" "Marcia Brady!" Category:Bradypedia